Lin Xiao rummaged through the ruins of the Holy Spirit Cult for anything still usable while listening to the experiences of the Wu Yun and Wu Yu sisters.
Although they said it was a long story, in truth, like most disciples who had managed to escape by luck, they had sensed something was wrong and chosen to flee immediately. Moreover, with both of them being eight-ringed, few people could stop them.
"So what are your plans from now on?"
Lin Xiao had almost gone through the entire ruins of the Holy Spirit Cult. He stopped what he was doing and let out a long breath.
Under the attack of a ninth-level fixed soul cannon, very few things remained intact. On top of that, others had come afterward, so only some items buried deep in the ruins were barely usable.
"We…" Wu Yun and Wu Yu exchanged a glance and didn't hesitate long. "We want to follow you, my lord."
Lin Xiao shook his head upon hearing this. From his storage soul tool, he took out two soul lamps.
"You came back here for things like these, right?"
As he spoke, Lin Xiao handed the soul lamps over.
"Back then, I took these out of the Holy Spirit Cult. Now I'm returning them to you. From today onward, you are no longer bound by the past and can do whatever you want."
Wu Yun took the soul lamps but did not leave. Instead, she looked up at Lin Xiao.
"My lord, you say we are no longer bound, but as evil soul masters, where in this vast world is there a place for us?"
Wu Yu also stepped forward. "During this time, we've been restricted everywhere. We didn't dare appear in crowded places and, in desperation, could only hide in the Evil Soul Forest together with soul beasts."
Hearing about their hardships, Lin Xiao's eyes shifted slightly. "Back then, it was I who brought you into the Holy Spirit Cult… Fine. If you're willing, near the Extreme North, there are many people like you and me…"
"My lord, we are willing." Before Lin Xiao could finish, Wu Yun had already agreed. "It was you who brought us into the sect, but without you, we would probably have ended up like the other disciples long ago."
"Long ago, we decided to follow you. Since you want us to do what we want, following you is exactly what we want to do most."
Lin Xiao said nothing more upon hearing this and simply nodded lightly. "All right then, come with me."
Inside the imperial palace of Mingdu, the great hall was filled with assembled ministers, yet Xu Tianran's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Only after a long while did Ju Zi enter the hall, accompanied by Kong Deming.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress."
"All of you are the pillars of the Sun Moon Empire; there is no need for such formalities."
"Empress, how is His Majesty's condition now?"
As soon as Ju Zi finished speaking, a minister immediately stepped forward. He appeared even more concerned about Xu Tianran's health than Ju Zi, the empress herself.
Ju Zi gave an almost imperceptible glance toward Kong Deming, but Kong Deming's attention was entirely on the assembled ministers, and he did not look back at her.
The events of last night were still vivid in Kong Deming's mind. He had clearly sensed the study's defensive devices being activated, yet they had not worked as expected.
Afterward, he had carefully inspected them, and there were no signs of the soul tools having been damaged. That left only one possibility: someone had tampered with them in advance.
First, Xu Tianran and his son had led people to stage a coup, and now Xu Tianran had been assassinated. If this continued, wouldn't the Sun Moon Empire's defensive devices become nothing more than decorations?
At this thought, Kong Deming's brows furrowed slightly, and the way he looked at the ministers changed as well.
It seemed someone noticed something unusual and glanced at him, but upon seeing his grim expression, they hurriedly looked away.
Soon, Kong Deming shook his head lightly.
These ministers' cultivation levels were not particularly high; some weren't even soul engineers at all. After all, aside from frontline generals who needed to fight, most ministers dealt with ordinary affairs of the Sun Moon Empire's common people and did not require high cultivation to perform their duties.
And on their faces, Kong Deming saw no trace of anything unusual. Unless the culprit could completely conceal themselves from his observation as a tenth-level soul engineer, the one who had tampered behind the scenes was definitely not among them.
On the other side, seeing that Kong Deming still gave no response, Ju Zi could only speak helplessly.
"Please remain calm, everyone. His Majesty is protected by the Sun Moon Empire, and his life is not in danger. However, the enemy was quite powerful, and His Majesty was injured. He is currently recuperating."
At this point, Ju Zi glanced at Kong Deming again. "During this period, I will temporarily handle court affairs on His Majesty's behalf."
As she spoke, Ju Zi looked toward Kong Deming once more. Seeing he had no reaction at all, she felt slightly more at ease.
The other ministers did not find anything strange about this. After all, ever since Xu Tianran was still the regent, Ju Zi had been by his side helping him handle certain matters.
Later, when Xu Tianran had insisted against all opposition on appointing Ju Zi as the frontline commander, facts had proven that her military talent was indeed outstanding. During that time, victory reports from the front lines arrived almost every few days. Although the front was now at a stalemate, almost no one believed the three great empires could hold out much longer.
Watching the ministers' reactions, countless thoughts rose in Ju Zi's mind.
Although she had not seen Xu Tianran since last night, as the mastermind behind it all, she knew better than anyone what condition Xu Tianran was in now.
Though it was described as temporary, Ju Zi knew that Xu Tianran no longer had any possibility of regaining control of the court. Then what remained…
At this thought, Ju Zi suddenly covered her mouth and dry-heaved several times.
"Empress—"
The ministers beside her cried out in alarm. Some had already guessed something, and their expressions changed slightly.
Kong Deming also turned to look at Ju Zi and spoke softly, "The Empress is with child. She should take care of her health above all."
The ministers who had only been guessing now heard Kong Deming's words, and their expressions immediately became vivid. The tension in their speech suddenly vanished, as if Xu Tianran's assassination was no longer so important.
"It's nothing." Ju Zi waved her hand. "His Majesty is unwell. As husband and wife, we are one. I naturally must share His Majesty's burdens."
As she spoke, Ju Zi raised her voice slightly. "In the past, His Majesty was deceived by the Holy Spirit Cult and placed too much trust in evil soul masters. Fortunately, His Majesty saw through their wild ambitions with his keen insight and eliminated the disaster for the peace of the Sun Moon Empire."
"However, precisely because of this, His Majesty suffered retaliation from evil soul masters, leading to last night's incident. Issue the order: everyone is to strictly investigate the traces of evil soul masters and must thoroughly eliminate these fish that slipped through the net."
"Yes, Empress."
The ministers responded in unison. Listening to these voices, Ju Zi felt an indescribable sensation rise in her heart. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze drifted over the chair at the center of the great hall.
In the end, what these ministers were loyal to had never been Xu Tianran, but the person sitting on that chair.
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master 40 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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